Spotlight on St. Lucy

We Gatherin’ Barbados 2020 was kicked off here in Barbados in January with a monumental picnic at River Bay in St. Lucy.  St. Lucy is the northernmost parish of the 11 which make up our island. While we live on a small island, distance is still a thing and having access to a hired car is going to be integral to your enjoyment of your tropical vacation. There are many opportunities to experience stunning vistas while driving through St. Lucy, as it is also a very flat part of the island with wide-open spaces and rugged coastline exposed to the full brunt of the Atlantic. It is the only one which is a peninsula surrounded on three sides by the Atlantic Ocean.

There are also lots of must-see places in St. Lucy, including the Animal Flower Cave, River Bay, Cove Bay, Little Bay, Cluffs, the St. Lucy Parish Church and the list goes on. There are also some fine examples of the architecture of older Barbados, as this part of the island is the least touched by the development of modern buildings. Mount Gay Rum Estate is also located in this part of the island and is widely acknowledged as the birthplace of rum since this brand is the oldest in the world. It is believed that rum was being produced here from 1663, but the earliest remaining written evidence points to February 20th, 1703 as the date of production.

Taking a leisurely drive up the coast in your rental car to Six Men’s Bay is not only great for enjoying fresh fish straight from the ocean but also is home to the wreck of the sunken freighter, Pamir, in 60 ft. of clear blue sea, making a perfect dive spot.  For the history buffs, there is also Chandler Bay which was home to one of the early Arawak settlements along with Stroud Point, located at Stroud Bay.

While the parish is not known for its beaches, there are a couple of surf spots for the intrepid looking for that perfect uncrowded wave. Any Barbados vacation should include a lazy drive in your hired car to St. Lucy for a different and authentic look at Barbados as it was then and is today.

On to February where we will showcase the next most northern parish, St. Peter. Join us for the exploration in our next post or rent a hired car and take a drive around for yourself.